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Dynamite and Arcane Wonders Announce Mage Wars Licensing Deal

Dynamite Entertainment knows a good licensing deal when they see it. And a partnership with Arcane Wonders is just that, bringing with it multiple product categories based on Mage Wars. Dynamite will debut their first Mage Wars project in January 2015, an original prose novel subtitled Nature of the Beast. Written by Will McDermott, Mage Wars: Nature of the Beast is the first official prose story set within the expansive world of the game. Following the January print and digital launch, Dynamite plans to expand the line into comic books, graphic novels, additional prose novels, prints, lithographs and an art book.

"We are truly honored and excited to be working with Dynamite. To partner up with such a professional team to bring Mage Wars and the world of Etheria to our fans is a dream come true," cheers Bryan Pope, President of Arcane Wonders. "We have worked so hard to develop each of these characters and this universe and look forward to this partnership to share our vision with our fans."

Mage Wars is the customizable strategy game of dueling mages. Players take on the role of powerful mages, stepping into an arena to battle for supremacy. A unique genre-breaking concept, Mage Wars combines the best elements of customizable card games and tactical miniature games. Players can choose from multiple mages like the Wizard, Warlock, Beastmaster, Priestess or many others, each with their own unique strategies and style of play. The game is fast-paced and exciting, with challenging decisions every turn. Since its debut in 2012, the game achieved critical success and has accrued dozens of industry accolades. Tom Vasel of Dice Tower, a leading podcaster and reviewer in the gaming community, ranked Mage Wars as the Second Best Game of All Time in his "Top 100 Games of All Time" list.

"Since its launch, the Mage Wars game has been celebrated by critics and fans alike, a true sensation in the gaming world," says Nick Barrucci, the CEO and Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment. "It's a great privilege and honor to sign with Arcane Wonders, a true innovator in game design. They've created a fantastic universe to explore, and we're proud to work hand-in-hand with their staff in building upon that expansive landscape with new creative content."

The first novel, Mage Wars: Nature of the Beast, takes place in the world of Etheria, and follows an unlikely cast of characters refreshingly removed from the trappings of traditional fantasy adventure. "Nature of the Beast is not your average Hero's Journey tale" says McDermott. "This is the story about the other guys -- the loners and the outcasts, the guards and the stewards, the folks who normally stay behind when the adventure starts -- the forgotten characters. It is a journey not toward the light, but into the darkness, both literal and figurative, where these characters must face their foibles and fears, their painful pasts and their lonely lives. It is a story about how true heroes are born, not through trial by fire, but by forging friendships that help them discover their own inner strength."

The book is slated for release January 2015 with the full press release below.

DYNAMITE AND ARCANE WONDERS ANNOUNCE MAGE WARSLICENSING DEAL

FOR COMICS, PROSE, AND ADDITIONAL CATEGORIES BASED ON BESTSELLING FANTASY GAME, LAUNCHING WITH MAGE WARS: NATURE OF THE BEAST PROSE NOVEL IN JANUARY

October 17, 2014, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite Entertainment is proud to announce a new licensing agreement with Arcane Wonders for multiple product categories based on Mage Wars, the bestselling and critically acclaimed tabletop fantasy game. Dynamite will debut their first Mage Wars project in January 2015, an original prose novel subtitled Nature of the Beast. Written by Will McDermott, Mage Wars: Nature of the Beast is the first official prose story set within the expansive world of the game. Following the January print and digital launch, Dynamite plans to expand the line into comic books, graphic novels, additional prose novels, prints, lithographs, and an art book.

Mage Wars is the customizable strategy game of dueling mages. Players take on the role of powerful mages, stepping into an arena to battle for supremacy. A unique genre-breaking concept, Mage Wars combines the best elements of customizable card games and tactical miniature games. Players can choose from multiple mages like the Wizard, Warlock, Beastmaster, Priestess, or many others, each with their own unique strategies and style of play. The game is fast-paced and exciting, with challenging decisions every turn. Since its debut in 2012, the game achieved critical success and has accrued dozens of industry accolades. Tom Vasel of Dice Tower, a leading podcaster and reviewer in the gaming community, ranked Mage Wars as the Second Best Game of All Time in his "Top 100 Games of All Time" list.

"We are truly honored and excited to be working with Dynamite. To partner up with such a professional team to bring Mage Wars and the world of Etheria to our fans is a dream come true," cheers Bryan Pope, President of Arcane Wonders. "We have worked so hard to develop each of these characters and this universe and look forward to this partnership to share our vision with our fans."

"Since its launch, the Mage Wars game has been celebrated by critics and fans alike, a true sensation in the gaming world," says Nick Barrucci, the CEO and Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment. "It's a great privilege and honor to sign with Arcane Wonders, a true innovator in game design. They've created a fantastic universe to explore, and we're proud to work hand-in-hand with their staff in building upon that expansive landscape with new creative content."

The first novel, Mage Wars: Nature of the Beast, takes place in the world of Etheria, and follows an unlikely cast of characters refreshingly removed from the trappings of traditional fantasy adventure. "Nature of the Beast is not your average Hero's Journey tale" says author Will McDermott. "This is the story about the other guys -- the loners and the outcasts, the guards and the stewards, the folks who normally stay behind when the adventure starts -- the forgotten characters. It is a journey not toward the light, but into the darkness, both literal and figurative, where these characters must face their foibles and fears, their painful pasts and their lonely lives. It is a story about how true heroes are born, not through trial by fire, but by forging friendships that help them discover their own inner strength."

Author Will McDermott has worked in the gaming industry since 1997, when he became Senior Editor of Duelist Magazine at Wizards of the Coast. While at Wizards, he helped publish thirty-seven magazines, and wrote five strategy guides for trading-card games. After leaving Wizards of the Coast, he became a freelance writer. Over the next five years, he published two Magic: The Gathering novels, three Necromunda novels (set in the Warhammer 30K universe), and numerous short stories. In 2006, McDermott joined the writing staff at ArenaNet and began working on Guild Wars. He wrote character dialogue for Guild Wars: Nightfall, Guild Wars: Eye of the North, and Guild Wars 2. He also shepherded the first two Guild Wars novels (Ghosts of Ascalon by Matt Forbeck and Jeff Grubb, and Edge of Destiny by J. Robert King) from conception to publication. Since departing ArenaNet in 2010, McDermott worked with Nintendo in game development and returned to freelance writing.

The development of the Mage Wars: Nature of the Beast novel follows upon Dynamite's success in prose publishing with such titles as Seal Team Six (which has sold over 140,000 copies across its nine volumes) and Prince Dracula. Upon its release in January 2015, the prose novel will be available in print at fine bookstores and hobby specialty shops everywhere, and digitally for consumer purchase through Amazon, Kindle, iTunes, Kobo, and Google Play.

Dynamite was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, The Shadow, Red Sonja, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, A Game of Thrones, and more. Dynamite owns and controls an extensive library with over 3,000 characters (which includes the Harris Comics and Chaos Comics properties), such asVampirella, Pantha, Evil Ernie, Smiley the Psychotic Button, Chastity, and Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt. In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and bestselling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Kevin Smith, Alex Ross, Neil Gaiman, Andy Diggle, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Jae Lee, Marc Guggenheim, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner, Gail Simone, Steve Niles, James Robinson, and a host of up-and-coming new talent. Dynamite is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles - including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger's Project Superpowers - have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. In 2005, Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%) and again in 2011. The company has also been nominated for and won several industry awards, including the prestigious Harvey and Eisner Awards.

About Arcane Wonders:

Arcane Wonders is a new publishing company based in Dallas, TX. Founding the company on the philosophy of creating games, for gamers, by gamers, Arcane Wonders published the ground-breaking, genre-busting game Mage Wars in 2012. Led by President and CEO Bryan Pope, the company continues to pursue titles and licenses that gamers of all ages and categories will enjoy.